Committee of high school students to host youth newspaper camp

With their Journalism Today textbooks spread open, iPads turned on and smart phones at the ready, a group of Homestead and Saint Francis high school students took over a picnic table at Serra Park June 20 to talk strategy.

The passionate young writers were putting the finishing touches on their first community summer program, the Sunnyvale Youth Newspaper Camp, for students entering grades 5-8.

Students will learn how to improve their writing skills, be introduced to the basics of newspaper production and be encouraged to get involved with and be aware of community events.

About 40 students have already registered for the camp. Students from Cupertino, Lawson and Columbia middle schools and Eaton Elementary School have signed up, as well as a few from home school and private schools.

"We're all kind of interested in writing a newspaper as well," said camp organizer June Lee of Saint Francis High.

June is the current editor of Saint Francis' campus newspaper, The Lancer.

"I contacted some of the kids I've known from middle school--we had worked together on different volunteer projects in the past--and I knew everyone was really interested," June said. "We wanted to reach out to the community and create a program where kids are improving their writing skills, not just in the classroom, and maybe reviving the dying newspaper economy."

The high school students have been meeting for about two months, planning the program and generating interest by reaching out to the local libraries, community centers and even soup kitchens.

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The all-volunteer, student-led camp will focus on four key topics: letters to the editor, editorials, cartooning and interviewing and investigative reporting. It also will touch on layout, typography and readability.

"I know so much of education we get nowadays, there's so little current events; we barely know what's going on around us," June said. "We want these kids to grow up to be the leaders of the U.S. and be more involved and to take on leadership roles. We want them to be more interactive and be more willing to go out and ask questions about what's going on."

Students will break out into focus groups to learn skills like interviewing fast talkers and to discuss daily topics ranging from politics and business to crime and celebrity gossip. Young journalists will also get to print letters to the editor in the Cupertino Courier and Sunnyvale Sun.

"These simple journalism skills are pretty much universally applicable, so learning this is a good start to do other things as well," added Shaunak Modak of Homestead High.

Registration is due July 2, and the weeklong camp will begin July 7.

The free camp will run from 1 to 4 p.m. each day and will be held at Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, 728 W. Fremont Ave.

While June and other camp organizers are leaning toward capping this summer's program at 40 students, the high schoolers do plan to host the camp twice a year in the future, over winter and summer breaks.